Typically, parents cheer their children up and watch them graduate from college from the stands, but Angel Williams watches her daughter Caijania Gates graduate a few feet away from the stage.
"Usually, people graduate with their friends, maybe even siblings, but to graduate with your mom is a rare and crazy feeling," said Gates.
Williams graduated with a Doctor of Nursing Practice on the same day that her daughter received her B.A. in psychology from Ursuline College. But this wouldn't be the first time Williams graduated from Ursuline. As a single mom of three, she received her first degree in 2011.
"My children were Ursuline babies; I was a single mom working nights as an LPN and they would be with me in the library eating snacks and they would be our audience during group projects. So, this truly feels like a full circle moment for me," said Williams.
Showing her children that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.
"I think the best thing she could have done was show us the struggle of being a single mom, and I admire the drive she had during that time because [I] feel like that's instilled in us," said Gates.
Now, Williams hopes her story will motivate other single parents to keep climbing.
"I just hope this can inspire single moms, and I want them to know that they don't have to feel like they messed up. And don't feel like your children are a mistake, because my babies gave me drive," said Williams.
During this journey, the pair was able to lean on each other for help.
"She would proofread for me, she actually just proofread for me last week," said Williams.
"For me, it was my mental health; she checked in on me, always asked me what I needed to keep going," said Gates.
And they needed each other more than ever when Williams's Mom, who also went to Ursuline, unexpectedly passed away two years ago.
"Before she passed, she told us 'don't quit,' and I wanted to every single day after she passed. I wanted to quit, but here I am with my baby, my girl. If my mom was here today, she would be so proud and she wasn't a crier, but I know she would've cried today," said Williams.
But through those difficult seasons, they were able to find friendship.
"My mom became my best friend, so to graduate with my best friend is like getting married with your best friend because we're making accomplishments together," said Gates.
What Williams didn't know was that her daughter would surprise her and help to place her academic hood on her during the ceremony as a Mother's Day surprise.
Williams began to shed tears, and the crowd cheered for the duo as they soaked in this special moment.
"We're creating a legacy for our family, and we're changing a generation and making a different track for individuals in our family," said Williams.
